The I Can't Come Up With A Catchy Title for My Dining Review Review(Update post #24)

[Donaldfan81]

Hello everyone. I have been reading the dining review threads for a few years and enjoyed them all. I however have never thought of doing one myself, I have no idea what made me decide to finally want to do one but here I am!!( I might also decide to do an overall trip report once we return). I hope everyone who reads enjoys:thumbsup2.

Anyways, onto the pertinent info. This trip is going to be Myself (28) and my best friend (29). I have been 4 times before and 3 of the 4 have been on the ddp. MY friend has never been before, he is someone who does not truly "get" Disney. You know what I mean the type who when I mention something I am excited about( ok maybe a bit overexcited about but hey it Is WDW) he rolls his eyes or laughs, though I know he is excited just does not want to admit it.:goodvibes. We will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge from September 20th through September 27th with free dining. I am a meat and potatoes kinda guy so most of my meals you probably see steak or another form of red meat. Df is mostly the same and has said he trusts my recommendations on what to eat. He is however allergic to shellfish and hates all types of seafood. We both can eat with the best of them so there will probably be no trace of any of our meals left on the plates when we are through.

So onto the where of this review. I am an over planner like many others on the Dis:) So when September hours came out I sat and made 4 different plans on what park when and which restaurants we wanted to eat at. My df on the other hand really is a go with the flow guy who would probably be ok with eating anywhere though he will tell me if the food is not so good and very vocally I might add. ADR time came and I was online promptly at 6am to get everything I wanted, but wait could it possibly be, the shock of all shocks (end sarcasm) No Le Cellier for either day I wanted.:rotfl2: Well other places to try like Tutto Italia and Yachtsman Steakhouse. With persistence and a lil bit of luck however, a lunch slot At Le Cellier opened up so I nabbed it and got rid of Tutto.:cool1:. With that story at of the way and I am sure you guys have had enough rambling for one post. Here is my list of were we are eating(at least ts I do not know any of the qs locations yet that will be a go with the flow decision)

Sep 20th
Kona Cafe 5:20pm

Sep 21st
50's Prime Time Cafe 7:50pm

Sep 22nd
Le Cellier 2:00pm

Sep 23rd
Yachtsman Steakhouse 8:25pm

Sep 24th
Boma 7:50pm

Sep 25th
Whispering Canyon Cafe 8:30pm

Sep 26th
Raglan Road 8:15pm

Can it be Sep 20th Yet? Can not wait to be eating and taking pics so I can come back and review everything.:cool1::goodvibes:thumbsup2:yay:
.

[MickeyNicki]

Ooh I cannot wait! Hope you guys have a fantastic trip....make it a MUST DO to get to Roaring Forks for the best pecan cinnamon buns in the entire world!

[Donaldfan81]

So I leave tomorrow morning for my trip. I absolutely can't wait :goodvibes. I will be sure to take tons of pics and notes to bring back for my review for everyone. Really Really looking forward to Kona Cafe tomorrow and Yachtsman Wednesday.

[oybolshoi]

Have a good trip and take lots of good pictures! :thumbsup2

[TigerKat]

Have a safe, fun-filled trip!!!!!

[Donaldfan81]

Hey there everyone, I am back :( It was a great trip. I did take pics of every ts meal but only some of the snacks and qs meals. I hope to have my first review up sometime later today, gotta upload Pics and stuff to my computer first.

[GoofySon'sMom]

Welcome back! Glad you had a great trip ... so hard to get back to reality! Can't wait for the reviews!

[BriarRosie]

Looking forward to seeing the food you ate!

Once you commit to a food report...you'll find yourself doing more of them.
Trust me. :laughing:

[TigerKat]

Welcome back! Looking forward to your reviews!

[Donaldfan81]

All right here we go. After we were settled in to the hotel we took the boat to The Magic Kingdom. What better way to start off a trip that a walk over to Adventureland and make a pitstop on the way to Pirates than Aloha Isle. Oh yes I wanted my friends first trip to the world to start off with a bang. And what better way than with a Dole Whip Float.http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_4816.jpg He loved it and wanted more. Later in the trip that would come but we have a whole world to explore.
So after a great afternoon around Mk it was off for a trip on the Monorail over to the Polynesian and dinner at was has become my traditional first night meal in the world, The Kona Cafe. I just love this place. And though I can't afford staying at the Poly, I love the feel to the place. It just has a Disney feel that really makes me get in the mood for the vacation. Anyway, we had a 5:20pm reservation and checked in ten minutes early to a reasonably empty place. We were seated right away and brought to a 2 top in the left hand side. Our server was Jason and he was very nice and attentive but wasn't on top of us, and we never felt rushed. First off we ordered the Lapu Lapu. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_4869_filtered.jpg I have had them before and loved it. They were great this time as well. During the meal we ordered another and were able to get them in a cup and it cost less with out the pineapple. There was no need to have another pineapple on the table. So on to the meal. I ordered the Teriyaki Strip Steak medium and got the mashed potatoes instead of the sticky rice. I am not a big fan of rice. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_4871.jpg It was just as good as the last 2 years. This is one of my favorite meals on property and anywhere else for that matter. Well seasoned, cooked to perfection, and I really like the broccolini served with it as well. My friend ordered The same as me only he got his medium well and had the sticky rice. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_4872.jpg
He thought it was very good as well but thought that the rice did not fit well with the meal and wished he had gotten the mash like I did. So after a filling meal it was time to order dessert, how on earth can we make through a whole week eating all this food if we are already full:lmao:. Anyway I went with the Banana Chocolate Creme Brulee, I have had this before as well, I love creme brulee and this does not disappoint. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_4874.jpg The Banana and chocolate really add a depth to it that I love. My friend ordered the White Chocolate Cheesecake. The pic I took of this did not come out very well so I do not have one to show. Sorry. He did enjoy it though. Jason saw me taking a pic of my friend and offered to take one of both of us. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_4875.jpg I am the guy on the right. :goodvibes. So overall a great meal to start off a trip with. After the meal we went back to Mk to watch Wishes. We got a great spot right behind the Roy and Minnie statue right at the end of Main Street USA dead center. A very good spot to watch Wishes. So here is the rating.
Food:
Me- 9
Friend- 7

Service:
Me- 8
Friend- 7

Overall:
Me-8
Friend- 7

Next update will be Lottawatta Lodge (without Pics) and 50's Prime Time Cafe.

[MousekaMaddi]

keep it coming!!:goodvibes:upsidedow

[natalielongstaff]

great title, and a great start to your reviews :thumbsup2

[MickeyNicki]

Great start :)

[Donaldfan81]

Hey folks:). So up for today is the first full day in the world. Everyday we had nutrigrain bars in the room so only the last day we ate a breakfast. Today was morning at Blizzard Beach. I know this isn't a full trip report, but let me just say I love Blizzard Beach. It was my first time there and it was really fun. Summit Plummit is amazing the photopass guy took a really great pic of my reaction the second time. It is hilarious. Anyway at about 12:30 we got hungry so we went to Lottawatta Lodge. Both of us chose the Bacon Double Cheeseburgers with Fries, I got the cheesecake, and my friend got the chocolate chip cookie, we both had Coke Zeroes(I am happy to see a lot of places have Coke Zero as it is my favorite soda). What can be said about a bacon double cheeseburger. It is what it is, not gourmet and not horrible. They were serviceable and satisfied our hunger. The cheesecake was only ok, and the cookie was good. No pics of this as I forgot my camera in the locker. So we rate it a 7. After that we went for one more ride down Summit, It started to rain hard, we had done every slide and the lazy river so we decided to head back to the WL and shower and change for our evening. As we had 7:50pm reservations at 50's Prime Time Cafe, Hollywood Studios was our destination. We arrived at 4 and went on everything we wanted. I lost my cell on Tower of Terror. So around 7:40pm we made our way over to PTC and checked in. They said they were running 20 minutes behind. Well after waiting about 10 minutes we were brought to our table. Our Server was Auntie Claire, and boy oh boy did she play her role well. Every table in our area was getting antics. Whether it be her yelling to Mom in the Kitchen, to bringing out unfinished vegetables with the whipped cream and sprinkles to a table near us, to making a big show of checking my friends Id when he ordered a Long Island Iced Tea. When she saw the Id she said it had to be fake, because he was born in 1980 and we aren't even in the 80's yet. Also quizzed him on the expiration date which he got wrong. She also thought she saw my elbows on the table and gave me a good yelling at. So we were paying out of pocket for this meal as we had Yachtsman Steakhouse booked for later on in the week. We decided to start off with the Onion Rings for 2http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5064_filtered.jpg They were perfectly crisply cooked and the dipping sauce was great. I ordered the Meatloafhttp://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5067.jpg. I love meatloaf, it is one of my favorite meals anywhere and I have had it here before as well. It was just as good as I remembered it being. I started out working on the vegetables as I did not want to hear Auntie Claire:goodvibes. My friend ordered the Fried Chicken. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5068.jpg. He also started out on the veggies.
He enjoyed his as well. He also substituted the mashed potatoes with the cheddar scalloped potatoes and thought that that was really good. We did not order dessert as we were full and wanted to ride TOT and RNRC once each again before we left, and dessert would not make that a pleasant experience :rotfl:. The bill came out to $55.28 for the 2 of us. Which I didnt think was that bad. Oh yeah I forgot I got the Chocolate Peanut Butter shake thanks to a recommendation from Auntie Claire and it was absolutely amazing awesome.
Food:
Me- 9
Friend- 9

Service:
Me- 10
Friend- 9

Overall:
Me- 9
Friend- 9

Next update will be Le Cellier.

[BriarRosie]

Nice reviews!

I happen to like both the meatloaf and the fried chicken, so it's usually a toss up for me when I go to 50's Prime Time. :thumbsup2

[tanyabanana]

I haven't been to 50's Prime Time yet but want to try it next year. Great reviews..keep 'em coming :)

[leeann32]

Great reviews:thumbsup2 I can't wait to try Prime time & Kona, they both look soooo good!

[Donaldfan81]

Thanks everyone. I will have Le Cellier up sometime tomorrow, I spent most of the evening going through all the pics from my trip(I took 1659) and uploading a lot of em for the photo of the day thread and a possible full trip report if I have time. And tanyabanana, and leeann32 50's and Kona are both great. I actually think whatever trip I make I will always include Kona and probably 50s as well from now on.

[Pooh&OurHunny]

good title and great review so far. Thank you for sharing. Can't wait to read LeCellier we are going to eat there for the first time on our upcoming trip.

[PrincessTrisha]

I was going to cancel 50's Primetime Diner for Mama Melrose at the end of the month but after seeing the fried chicken (which I've had before and I know is good) with the cheesy scalloped potatoes - No Way! That looks too good. I'm keeping 50's based on that picture alone.

[Donaldfan81]

PrincessTrisha, My friend really did enjoy those potatoes, just ask to sub the mash for them. Also 50's is a good time so I definitely think it would be a good choice to keep it.

[Donaldfan81]

Ok so today's review is only of Le Cellier, as it was a lunch ressie, we were very full so did not use our cs for the day. Was it worth all the fuss to get a reservation? Well lets find out.;). First before I get to Le Cellier a brief bit about Club Cool and what we liked and disliked. We tried all of the flavors there. As I had been before I knew not to try the Beverly but my friend had no clue what he was getting into. Well being the friend that I am I did not warn him about it either. I really do wish I had my camera out for that, as his face was classic. Man oh man did he have a sour look on. It was funny because a couple of people by us heard me tell him to try it and must have known about it already because they stopped to watch him to. Anyway the top flavors for us were from China and Germany. So on to http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5166.jpg We arrived about 20 minutes early for our 2pm reservation, and where seated almost right away. There were a couple of empty tables around were we were seated. Our server was Johnny and he actually turned out to be one of the highlights of the meal for us. He just knew the menu really well and was an extremely nice and pleasant person. So to start of we both ordered the Cheese Soup appetizers (sorry the pics I took of this and my meal did not come out at all for some reason.) And the breadsticks were brought over, all 3 were well received by both of us and I asked Johnny for Pretzel Bread refills 2x. I love love love the pretzel bread. Being on the DDP I paid oop for mine but my friend ordered from the pre fixed type menu so he did not have to pay. I thought that the soup was very good if only a little bit over-salted. My friend devoured his and thought it was great. So on to the main course. I ordered the Filet with Mushroom Risotto, I had ordered it last year and loved it, so I was very much looking forward to it. This year though I did not care for it much. I can't put my finger on why, there was just something off about it. It was a bit disappointing to wait and anticipate something for a while and not enjoy it, but its only a meal so not all that bad. The risotto was to me the best part of the dish and that was okay, also not what I remember though. I know I make it seem like it was bad it wasn't by any means, just not what I remembered or expected. My friend ordered the Shaved Prime Rib sandwich. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5173.jpg, he loved it. He said that the sandwich was one of the best he has had in a while. As drinks we got a Sprite and a Diet Coke. So now what to me many times is the best part of any meal, Dessert. I had planned on ordering the Maple Creme Brulee as I love Brulee, however Johnny suggested, a dessert I hadn't seen on any of the menus. It was called the Le Cellier Mont Blanc Semifreddo, he described it as a sort of White Wine Custard served over a Raspberry Soup with Blueberries.[/IMhttp://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5178.jpg I am very happy that I took Johnny's suggestion and ordered it, To me this is the best dessert I have every had in any Disney dining establishment or any other dining establishment ever. It definitely has wine taste to it, only a little bit of one, but it is there but the pairing of this with a raspberry soup and the tartness of the blueberries is exceptional. I think the only thing that can rival this is what I would have the next night (we will save that for the next review :goodvibes). My friend ordered the Maple Creme Brulee. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5177.jpg. He thought it was fantastic and I had a taste and I agree. It was not to Mapley but The maple flavor added a bit of extra flavor to it that was very pleasing. So was it worth the hassle to get the reservation and move around 2 others. Yes and no. For me the Cheese Soup and Semifreddo were awesome, the Filet just ok, My friend thought it was all good. I think that Le Cellier is a decent place for a meal but I do not think I would rush or spend a lot of time trying for a adr anymore. If I happen to get one than great, if not it is ok as there are plenty of other excellent choices in and around Epcot. The service there is in my opinion top notch.
Food:
Me-7.5
Friend-8

Service:
Me-9
Friend-8

Overall:
Me-8
Friend-8

Up next: Sunshine Seasons and Yachtsman Steakhouse

[2 pirates for me]

I am really enjoying your report so far!:thumbsup2 I can't wait to see your pictures and reports on WCC! We are going next month.:cheer2:

[Donaldfan81]

Ok everyone, time for day 4 of this wonderful world of food:goodvibes. We started out the day at Animal Kingdom, and I had planned on eating at Flame Tree BBQ, however after having being in the land pavillion a couple of times yesterday my friend wanted to try Sunshine Seasons based off of the smell of the Land alone, and being that we were very full from Le Cellier we never had the chance. Well we were going to Epcot in the afternoon, so we started out the afternoon at Sunshine seasons eating lunch. At Animal Kingdom we did use a snack credit on this tasty little thing. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5464.jpg a Jalepeno Cheese Stuffed Pretzel. We both got one and they were very very good. And it was $4.29 and still a snack on the DDP. It was from cart right by the walkway to Kali River Rapids entrance. I would recommend it. So onto http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5125.jpg. I had eaten here before and gotten a meal from the Asian Section. Previously it was 2 entrees and 2 sides, now they no longer offer 2 entrees, just 1 with 2 sides. Still plenty of food. I got the Mongolian beef with double portion of Lo Mein and Pineapple Upside Down cake with a Coke Zero. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5521.jpg The Mongolian Beef was not so good. THe beef it self was like leather, and the sauce was salty with almost no taste whatsoever. The Lomein was really good. I had gone to the bakery area expecting to get either the butterfinger cheesecake or key lime pie as I have had both in the past and loved each, but they were out of both. Lucky for me I love Pineapple Upside Down cake. This one was very good and my favorite part of the meal. My friend ordered a Turkey Sandwich w/ Potato Salad, A Coke Zero and Rice Krispie Treat. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5520.jpg He said all was okay, the potato salad was a german potato salad and not what he is used to so that was a bit odd for him, he did say it tasted ok just not what he expected. The sandwich was good, and the rice krispie treat was just that nothing special. Overall I say Sunshine Seasons is one of the best of the Quick Service places in the parks. After a ride on Test Track and JIIWF we took off for a walk around World Showcase. When we made it to France we stopped for those wonderful frozen concoctions. I got the Grand Marnier Orange Slush and my friend got The Grey Goose Citron Lemonade. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5548.jpg andhttp://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5547.jpg
I had waited all year for this as last year I got one but my sister spilt it before I really had the chance to taste much of it. It is really good. My friend also loved his and he is usually just a beer guy. Our adr for the night was at Yachtsman Steakhouse, so we left Epcot through the International Gateway and took the boat to the Yacht Club. That are is really nice looking at night I must say. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5562.jpg. Our Reservation was for 8:25pm and we arrived to check in at 8:15pm. We waited for 25 minutes to be seated. Our server was Mana. He was okay. This was my first Signature Dining experience and I guessed I expected a little bit better service than we received, he was not bad just not great either. So onto the food. I noticed on the appetizer portion of the menu something that caught my eye. It was not on any of the online menus I had read. It was an Asian Pear and Georgia Peach Salad with some type of green, a balsamic vinaigrette,Prosciutto, and shaved parmesan. This was absolutely amazing. I am so glad I ordered it. It did cost $11 out of pocket but it was worth it. (I am sorry for the lighting in these pics as the restaurant is very dark and I did not want to use the flash) http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5563.jpg. My friend did not order an appetizer. For the entrees, I ordered the Cowboy Steak, http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5564.jpg Ribeye is my favorite cut of beef, so I knew I had to have it. It is served with 3 very big onion rings and a sort of onion sauce or jam. I had it medium. I had read reviews of this stating that it was to much fat and gristle. I did not find that to be the case at all. The steak came out cooked just right and had that awesome Ribeye flavor. I spread some of that onion stuff on it and that just made it all the better. My friend ordered the filet (medium) which is served with mashed potatoes. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5565.jpg He said it was very tender and flavorful and thought it fantastic. For dessert I ordered their signature Banana Napolean http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5566.jpg I thought this to be very very very very good(did I mention very:goodvibes). An very good presentation. Now I love Banana's to begin with so I am more inclined to enjoy a dessert featuring Banana's but I can not see a downside to this dessert. My friend ordered the Yachtsman Sundaehttp://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/metalaero81/Dining%20Reviews/IMG_5567.jpg. He said it was tasty. To me it looked great, a very nice presentation. So I must say that this is my absolute top meal of the trip from a food point of view. A top notch experience that I plan on trying again, and highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good steak.

Food:
Me-10
Friend-9

Service:
Me-7
Friend-7

Overall:
Me-9
Friend-9

Up next Pecos Bills Tall Inn Cafe and Boma Dinner. Enjoy:thumbsup2:goodvibes

[vettegirl]

Great reviews so far. Loved the PT 50's review, that too was one of our favorite meals.